Home Marine Life Whales

Whales

Whales face many threats to their welfare, health, and their existence. The main cause is commercial hunting and pollution. Chemicals and pesticides can poison their internal systems, while discarded rubbish like nets, plastics or fishing lines can strangle the animals to death. Whales are, just like dolphins, highly acoustic mammals. Noise caused by coastal developments and industrial activities can disrupt whales. Tourism also effects whales. They can feel very harassed, especially when they are breeding and calving.

When chemicals pollute the oceans, the food of whales also gets polluted. Female whales then pass these pollutants directly on to their young through their milk, which can result in death or disability. These pollutants also cause the lowering of the whale's resistance to disease. This means they are more likely to die from diseases.

Commercial as well as scientific whaling by countries as Japan and others remains a huge threat to the survival of certain whale species.

whales

More about:

Dolphins
Entrapment in fishing nets and marine pollution are threats various dolphins have to deal with.
Turtles
Turtles are one of the world's oldest animals. Now they are driven into extinction by pollution and hunting.

Whales in the News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


When species are about to become extinct: New research may help predict tipping point - What if there were a way to predict when a species was about to become extinct -- in time to do something about it? Findings from a new study may eventually lead to such an outcome -- and that is only the start. Their study also has implications for understanding drastic, even catastrophic, changes in many other kinds of complex systems, from the human brain to entire ecosystems.

Liver defect likely cause of DHA deficiency in Alzheimer's patients, UCI study finds - Researchers have discovered that markedly depleted amounts of an omega-3 fatty acid in brain tissue samples from Alzheimer's patients may be due to the liver's inability to produce the complex fat, also contained in fish-oil supplements.

NASA satellites reveal surprising connection between beetle attacks, wildfire - If your summer travels have taken you across the Rocky Mountains, you've probably seen large swaths of reddish trees dotting otherwise green forests. While it may look like autumn has come early to the mountains, evergreen trees don't change color with the seasons. The red trees are dying, the result of attacks by mountain pine beetles.